In today's business world, workers often use several different types of software applications to process different types of applications. For example, a worker may use several different types of applications for billing, inventory management, customer relations management, docketing, and several different type of applications for processing information generally, for example, email applications, calendar applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, browser applications, database applications, presentation applications, etc.
Unfortunately, the information processed by these applications is often configured (i.e., formatted or arranged) to be used with only certain types of applications, such that the information is not accessible to other types of applications. For example, the data used by one line-of-business (LOB) application such as an PeopleSoft application typically is not be configured for use by other LOB applications such as an SAP application or by a more general purpose application such as Microsoft® Outlook®. Consequently, a user must bounce back and forth between applications to utilize the information provided by both applications, which is an inefficient use of the user's time. These inefficiencies are exacerbated when such information is shared between multiple users.